I love my clients and I love my business. Making the connection with people and giving the ‘over & above service’ for them is what I love to do. It is so important that you connect the two because people feel it and know it without you even having to say a single word. Intention is good, but action tells the real story.

I had a fantastic time at our annual Driving Diva Holiday Event last night. It is our end of the year extravaganza night to give back to our clients, connect and celebrate the season with them. Yes – we had the major sales event and prizes, but most importantly – it was a time to enjoy our clients by offering an evening of fun, food & festive cheer. I could feel the amazing energy buzzing around me and it also gives me the opportunity to hear how we are doing as a business to serve them.

Giving back to the community, our staff and our clients feels great. When you are in the service industry and you shudder at the thought of having to ‘give back’, then I think you are in the wrong industry. You have to have the ‘spirit to serve’ in order to be genuinely successful. And that also includes giving back. To me, it’s not all about the ‘sale of the day’ it’s building and cherishing client relationships. We’re not just an automotive repair business – we’re really serving people.

I am thrilled and excited to offer our new arrivals for our Driving Divas this holiday season. I love unique and practical finds – this season we have a wonderful selection for ‘girlfriend’ gifts, hostess giving and ‘Merry Christmas to me’ gifts. To make it easier and more enjoyable for your holiday receiving, I suggest you print this page and leave in a visible area for your loved one to find. All gifts are available in-store or by phone order (905) 524 9853 www.ladieschoiceautocare.com Only 38 days left until Christmas!

1. Swarovski Crystal USB keychain. This is a must have for the Driving Diva on the go – it’s stylish, practical and beautiful. No need to carry around a boring plastic USB piece anymore – express yourself with a Yue-S-Bee! 12 styles to choose from – including a handbag for the purse collector on your list. Made by Yue-S-Bee Inc.

2. For the wine and shoe lover. Glassware adourned with a pair of handpainted Stiletto heels with a matching purse. Each wine glass has a ‘one of a kind’ hand painted dress shoe with a coordinating purse to match. A variety of shoes available in red, black or leopard print. ‘His and Hers’ party shoes are also available. Includes a lady’s and man’s dress shoe on each individual wine glass. Available on white or red wine glasses. A perfect hostess gift! **Too new for a picture – must see in-store**

3. Diva Diamondz contain a powerful volcanic mineral, zeolite, that draws odor and moisture out of shoes. The mineral is also antimicrobial, which means that is fights bacteria and fungus. Simply place a pouch inside each shoe at the end of the day. Overnight the smell and moisture is absorbed into the pouch. When the diamond starts to smell like your feet, place it in the sun to recharge. You will have to recharge your Diva Diamondz once or twice a year. Non-scented, natural and guaranteed effective, Diva Diamondz will always leave your shoes good to go!

5. Pouchee Outback collection. The purse companion for the Diva on the go! The Pouchee makes it easy to switch handbags – simply transfer your Pouchee to your new handbag. Features for this handy leatherette organizer:

Today I had attended the selection process for Jury duty. I have always wanted to be called upon for this privileged duty, but I had mixed feelings when I received the ‘official letter’ of role call. Why did I have to be called up now? For the next month – my schedule is absolutely insane! This is the busiest time of the year for business. Instead, I went in with an open mind and open to be flexible. After I heard the hearing from the judge and the type of case it was, I certainly wanted to be part of this decision making process.

We were told it would require a two week committment – two weeks? Hmmm….this might take a bit of juggling. As I reviewed my BB and tried to juggle my schedule around – I felt I could still make this happen. If I am selected, then I would be honoured to fulfill this important duty and offer my input towards the decision making process.

I was told that the court proceeding would start today. Today!?!!! Are you kidding? Who can stop everything at the drop of a hat for two weeks? It was very disappointing for me. I had to ‘plea’ my case that I could not afford the time off with such short notice.

As a business owner, it is a difficult feat to be able to stop everything immediately. I have scheduled presentations and workshops that I will be hosting this week. To cancel these, it would have a big impact on business. Walking out of the courtroom I was followed by business people and a similar group of career professionals that were able to be ‘relieved’ from the jury process.

The question I ask – if the judicial system is most effective to by having a a good representation of society, are they really allowing ‘reasonable’ expectations for people in business to serve this civic duty? or are they leaving us out?

I am pleased to say that last week’s Diva’s Car Care Clinic was a fantastic evening. It was a good turnout and the line up of guest speakers made it quite interesting.

Paul Barrett of Green Venture (www.greenventure.ca) talked about ways to increase fuel efficiency and tips to saving money with our driving habits. Chris Poscai of Wallflower to Wonder Woman (www.wallflowertowonderwoman.com) did a fantastic presentation of raising awareness about this valuable program offered for women.

Paul offered a well designed PowerPoint presentation about the EcoDriver program and simple techniques to employ for reducing fuel consumption with our everyday driving. Christine talked about the amazing program that they offer for women to help overcome life’s challenges and giving that helping hand for a step up in life. Their program is quite powerful by empowering women to live their full potential.

It’s great to work together with a group effort. To see the passion that people have about their field of expertise and joining together with likeminded experts – it creates alot of good energy. I certainly felt it. I’m really excited about our coming year of Diva’s Car Care Clinics and having the opportunity to help raise awareness about the wonderful organizations serving the Hamilton community. It’s all about education, building awareness and removing the barriers to empower women. Hamilton, Ontario has alot of dynamic businesses and organizations which I look forward to blending into our clinics.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend our October clinic, you can hear more about our topics on www.Blogtalkradio.com On Monday November 2nd at 6:30 pm Paul Barret from Green Venture will be my guest on our Ladies Choice AutoCare show program. On Monday November 16th at 6:30 pm Chris Pocsai from Wallflower to Wonder Woman will be my guest on the show.

Green Queen Drivers recognize that we need to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle. It starts with awareness and then taking action for change.

There are a number of different ways we can help reduce our carbon footprint including changing our driving habits, servicing our vehicles properly and the choices we make with the vehicles we buy.

Did you know that synthetic oils burn cleaner, are far superior for our engines and are not a non-renewable resource? Premium synthetic oils require less oil changes (3-4 times longer between service) as opposed to the common conventional oil. You will pay a bit more for premium synthetic oils, but in the long run – you are actually saving money $$. (an example of a premium synthetic: Amsoil www.amsoil.com)

Paul Barrett of Green Venture (www.greenventure.ca) will be our guest speaker at our upcoming Diva’s Car Care Clinic “How to Become a Green Queen Driver and save money, too!” on October 22, 2009. Paul will be discussing EcoDriving techniques and proper maintenance to reduce a vehicle’s fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35%. To learn more about our clinic or to register, please contact our office 905 524 9853 or visit our website at www.ladieschoiceautocare.com

“The solutions to our environmental crisis can be found in part in how we conduct our daily lives. Hopefully, this daily act of consciousness in how we live our individual lives will also encourage each of us to more actively support the more large scale systemic changes that are needed to stem the environmental crisis.”